We're most creative when we're less focused

For a 2011
study, researchers gave 428 students questionnaires to
classify them as either a morning or an evening person, and
then gave them both creative and analytical problems in
either the morning or late afternoon.

To the researchers' surprise, the morning people performed better
on the creative problems in the late afternoon, whereas the
evening people scored highest on those problems in the morning —
times when both groups were supposedly less alert. The time
of day had no effect on how either group did on the analytical
problems.

These findings backup the idea that we're actually more creative
at times when we're relaxed or unfocused. And that's especially
interesting for employers.

A 2010
survey conducted by IBM of more than 1,500 CEOs in different
countries and industries found that creativity is the most
crucial factor for success.

As Seppala writes in her book, some of the most creative people
in history had their biggest breakthroughs when they were idle.
For instance, the inventor Nikola Tesla supposedly came up with
an idea that led to his discovery of alternating current while on
a walk with a friend. And Albert Einstein listened
to Mozart to find inspiration.

But even though downtime is clearly important, many of us feel —
ironically — that we simply don't have time for it. Luckily,
Seppala has some tips for making time.

How to do more of nothing

Diversify your activities: Alternate between tasks that
require a lot of focus (like writing a report or preparing a
presentation) with more mindless tasks (like entering data or
filing papers). If your job involves a lot of mental focus, try
something physical as a break, and vice versa.

Take some quiet time: Unplug from technology and
try meditating or taking a walk. Being alone with your
thoughts may be uncomfortable at first, but don't worry — it
gets easier.

Play: As kids, we play all the time, but many of us have
forgotten how. So try out a board game, go see a comedy
show, or spend some time cuddling with your pet. It doesn't
matter what it is, so long as you're having fun.